Tag Archives: homebrew

Canadian Homebrew Day

Canadian Homebrew Day Graphic

We are pleased to announce that our 2023 edition of Canadian Homebrew Day (CHD) will be in-person at Toronto Brewing!

Sat. June 3rd, 2023
Toronto Brewing (3701 Chesswood Drive, Unit 115)
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

On Saturday June 3rd, we will have a live brewing demonstration and be available to answer questions and promote the hobby!

GTA Brews Members will be present and brewing on club equipment! Come, see, support and chat with fellow members and members of the public about the joys of homebrewing!

Recipe: Bia-Hoi by Chi-Linh Dinh

This year’s recipe, now available in the club recipe database, is Chi-Llinh Dinh’s “Bia Hoi” (Vietnamese for ‘fresh beer’). Chi created this recipe to emulate the type of beer her father and his friends used to drink back home in Vietnam! It’s a light (about 4% ABV), refreshing lager that’s meant to be drank very fresh once it’s fermented!

If you are indeed brewing that day, please take some pictures and share it with our community and beyond by tagging GTA Brews and #CanadianHomebrewDay in your posts!

May Meeting: Some More Exbeerimentation with Josh Davis!

Location: Rainhard Brewing
Date: Monday May 8th, 2023
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

It’s already May and we’re going “back to the future”! We’ll be back, for the first time in a long time, at Rainhard Brewing!! Rainhard will be our West Side meeting location moving forward. For this meeting we have Josh Davis, BJCP judge and one of our new members over the last year will be discussing another Exbeeriment! This time it’s a Pale Ale triangle test! There will be some announcements and social time as well

As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Rainhard offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading May Meeting: Some More Exbeerimentation with Josh Davis!

March Meeting: Some Exbeerimentation with Josh Davis!

Location: Muddy York Brewing
Date: Monday March 13th, 2023
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

March is coming in like a lion and for this month’s club meeting we’re introducing something new! Josh Davis, BJCP judge and one of our new members over the last year will be discussing an Exbeeriment! There will also be social time and Shane Martin will also have his Exbeerimental beer to share and discuss as well!

As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Muddy York offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading March Meeting: Some Exbeerimentation with Josh Davis!

February Meeting: SOCIAL! (and a “new” west end location)

Location: Northern Maverick Brewing
Date: Monday February 13th, 2023
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

It’s already February! And for this month’s club meeting we’re doing a “social” meeting; so there’s no presentations or structured items planned. This is an opportunity to bring (and share) your homebrew with other club members!

As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Northern Maverick offers a wide selection of fine beers to go and food available so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading February Meeting: SOCIAL! (and a “new” west end location)

January Meeting: Waterworld! Water Chemistry with Eric Cousineau!

Location: Muddy York Brewing Co.
Date: Monday January 9th, 2023
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

HOPPY 2023! It’s January and, if you’ve been a member of the club for any length of time, you’ll know that this month we talk about H20, Aqua, Adam’s Ale (aka Water) and we are happy to have GTA Brews Member (and former club President) Eric Cousineau back to give us an updated presentation on water chemistry!

As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Muddy York offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading January Meeting: Waterworld! Water Chemistry with Eric Cousineau!

December Meeting: Year End Holiday Festive Themed Shindig At People’s Pint Brewing Co.

Location: People’s Pint Brewing Company
Date: Monday December 12th, 2022
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

It’s already December and this month we’ll be having our Year End Holiday Festive Shindig! There’s some announcements (Canadian Homebrew Championship winners will be announced!) that we’ll make but there’s no presentation, it’s strictly about socializing, wishing each other a great holiday season and sharing homebrew! We’re still at PEOPLE’S PINT BREWING CO. 90 Cawthra Ave in Toronto, but this meeting will not have a guest speaker and outside of standard announcements we’re simply going to mingle and talk beer and homebrewing!

As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters/announcements and keep your chatting to a minimum at that time.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! People’s Pint offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading December Meeting: Year End Holiday Festive Themed Shindig At People’s Pint Brewing Co.

November Meeting: Just How Juicy Is It? NEIPA brewing on a big (and homebrew) scale with Marcelo Paniza of Paniza Brewing!

Location: Muddy York Brewing Co.
Date: Monday November 14th, 2022
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

Back at Muddy York Brewing Co this month for our November meeting!!! We are excited to have Scarborough’s own Marcelo Paniza, from Paniza Brewing, talk to us about NEIPA brewing!!

As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Muddy York offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading November Meeting: Just How Juicy Is It? NEIPA brewing on a big (and homebrew) scale with Marcelo Paniza of Paniza Brewing!

October Meeting: It’s Social! At People’s Pint Brewing Co.

Location: People’s Pint Brewing Company
Date: Monday October 17th, 2022
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

This month we are having a SOCIAL meeting!!! While we love our educational presentations and hearing from beer industry professionals and homebrewers alike, we thought it was time to have a social meeting that’s outside of our “normal” social meetings (i.e. Holiday meeting in December)! We’re still at PEOPLE’S PINT BREWING CO. 90 Cawthra Ave in Toronto, but this meeting will not have a guest speaker and outside of standard announcements we’re simply going to mingle and talk beer and homebrewing!

As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters/announcements and keep your chatting to a minimum at that time.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! People’s Pint offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading October Meeting: It’s Social! At People’s Pint Brewing Co.

2022 GTA Brews Advent Calendar

Exchange Date: Saturday November 26th, 2022 @ 1:00 PM (Don't be late!)Exchange Location(s): Brunswick BierworksParticipation Fee: $10

The Annual GTA Brews Advent Calendar is back for the 9th year ...

This content is only available for GTA Brews Members. Please visit our membership page to join today! If you are already a member, don't forget to Log In!

Announcing Canadian Homebrew Championship (CHC) 2022

This is an Invite-Only Homebrew Competition for BOTY Final Round

Email questions to: comp@gtabrews.ca

Competition Details

Entrant/Volunteer Registration: Oct 24th, 2022, 12:00 PM
Entry Registration Opens: Oct 24th, 2022, 12:00 PM
Entry Deadline: Nov 11th, 2022, 4:00 PM
Judging Date: Nov 20th, 2022
Judging Location: Amsterdam Brewhall (45 Esandar Dr)
Results/Awards Ceremony: TBD

Cost of Entry: $10 per entry
– 2 bottles per entry
Payment: Paypal Only
Styles Accepted: All BJCP Beer styles (BJCP 2021 Guidelines)
Styles Limits:
– 1 entry per classic style subcategory (1-26)
– 2 entries per specialty subcategory (21B, 27-34), must be different beers
Entry Limits:
– Total cap: N/A (Invite Only)
– Per-entrant cap: 6 per person

Competition Overview

The Canadian Homebrew Championship (CHC) is a collaboration between the Canadian Brewer of the Year Circuit (BOTY), the Canadian Homebrewers Association (CHA), and the local organizing homebrew club (GTA Brews for 2022). This is an invite-only homebrew competition, where only the top 3 winners of each local club’s qualifier competition are invited to submit entries.

This competition acts as a Final Round for the BOTY circuit, where BOTY 2022 titles will be awarded:

  • 2022 Canadian Homebrewer of the Year
  • 2022 Canadian Homebrew Club of the Year
  • 2022 Canadian Homebrewed Beer of the Year
Continue reading Announcing Canadian Homebrew Championship (CHC) 2022

September Meeting: Pull Your Head Out Of Your Cask! with Mary Beth Keefe / Tim Burnett from Granite

Location: Muddy York Brewing Co.
Date: Monday September 12th, 2022
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

We swing BACK to the east side this month at Muddy York Brewing Co!!! We’re pleased as punch to have Mary-Beth Keefe and Tim Burnett, from The Granite Brewery and Tied House, to give us a talk on Cask Conditioned Ales (aka “Real Ale”)

As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Muddy York offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading September Meeting: Pull Your Head Out Of Your Cask! with Mary Beth Keefe / Tim Burnett from Granite

August Meeting: Cooking With Beer (and Chris!) with Chris Tower!

Location: People’s Pint Brewing Company
Date: Monday August 8th, 2022
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

In Person again (sort of) at People’s Pint Brewing Company in the Junction!!! This month we’re trying something a bit different for our in-person meeting. Our presenter will NOT be present but will still present! (read on for more information) Chris Tower will be giving a delicious talk on cooking with beer!

As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.

NOTE: Our presenter this month will be virtually joining us – we’ll broadcast the presentation via the big screen and make it a bit easier for those that can’t attend to review the presentation after the fact!

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! People’s Pint offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading August Meeting: Cooking With Beer (and Chris!) with Chris Tower!

Announcing Summer Showdown 2022 – Homebrew Competition

Click Here to go to the main competition page and register!

Our popular seasonal homebrew competition is back for 2022, in person! We will be accepting all styles of beer, and for the first time we will be using the new BJCP 2021 Guidelines! Since this is our small competition, entry will be restricted to GTA Brews members only.

This seasonal competition is designed to be a “low stakes” introduction to BJCP competitions for club members to enter their beers for feedback and fun. The focus is on providing excellent feedback, so we keep the entry cap low. Our hope is that lots of first-time entrants will find themselves on the winners list and be motivated to continue entering competitions. This competition will be judged by BJCP Judges according to the newly released 2021 BJCP Guidelines.

If this if your first competition, please read our BJCP Competition Guide for tips on entering. If you aren’t sure which category to enter your beer, bring it to a club meeting, or email comp@gtabrews.ca.

Continue reading Announcing Summer Showdown 2022 – Homebrew Competition

July Meeting: Whoa That’s Wild! (Yeast Capture & Testing) with Jonah Greenbaum-Shinder of Escarpment Labs!

Location: Muddy York Brewing Company
Date: Monday July 11th, 2022
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

We are back to IN PERSON meetings at Muddy York Brewing!!! For the East End of the GTA, this is the first time we’re back in person at Muddy York and we’re so looking forward to hearing from our good friends at Escarpment Labs! Jonah Greenbaum-Shinder will be coming to the meeting to give us a talk on Wild Yeast Capture and Testing!

As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Muddy York offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading July Meeting: Whoa That’s Wild! (Yeast Capture & Testing) with Jonah Greenbaum-Shinder of Escarpment Labs!

June Meeting: Everything You Wanted To Know About Mashing with Pietro Caira!

Location: People’s Pint Brewing Company
Date: Monday June 13th, 2022
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

This month we are SUPER excited to be back to IN PERSON meetings!!! And since we haven’t had a proper in person meeting in, oh, about 2+ years it’s going to be exciting since there’s a lot of new stuff to announce! Firstly, our “west” meeting location has changed to be at PEOPLE’S PINT BREWING CO. 90 Cawthra Ave in Toronto. Secondly, we’re stoked to hear People’s Pint’s head brewer and former GTA Brews member Pietro Caira talk to us about all things Mash related (well, almost all things – I don’t think Pietro’s going to talk about the “Monster Mash”. . . . . ) !

As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! People’s Pint offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading June Meeting: Everything You Wanted To Know About Mashing with Pietro Caira!

Canadian Homebrew Day 2022

We are pleased to announce that our 2022 edition of Canadian Homebrew Day (CHD) will be in-person at Toronto Brewing‘s Geary Ave location!

Sat. June 4th, 2022
Toronto Brewing (211 Geary Ave)
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

On Saturday June 4th, we will have two live brewing demonstrations.

  1. David Chang-Sang of Chang Sang Estates Homebrewery will be joined by Colin Green to brew up a batch of his Oat N About pale ale, which he originally created in collaboration with our friends at Muddy York Brewing Co.
  2. Darrell Kelly (multi-award winning homebrewer and BJCP Judge) will be brewing up a batch of his famous German Pilsner

Recipe #1: Darkness English Porter by Matt King

The 2021 Canadian Brewer of the Year (BOTY circuit) was our very own Matt King. For CHD 2022, he graciously shared one of his favourite recipes for us to brew at home!

Recipe #2: Betty Blonde by Barley’s Homebrew Supplies

Barley’s Homebrew Supplies from New Westminster, BC was voted as Canadian Homebrew Shop of the year for 2021. To celebrate CHD 2022, owner Curtis supplied his favourite Blond Ale recipe for us to brew!

If you are indeed brewing that day, please take some pictures and share it with our community and beyond by tagging GTA Brews and #CanadianHomebrewDay in your posts!

May Meeting: Cider Brewing and Tasting with Revel Cider!

Date: Monday May 9th, 2022
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM ET

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month we are exceptionally excited to have Tariq Ahmed join us from Revel Cider talk to us about cider brewing! His presentation will focus on Revel Cider, their cider brewing philosophies and a guided tasting of two of their ciders. Please see details on how to get their cider below!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading May Meeting: Cider Brewing and Tasting with Revel Cider!

Summer Thirst Quenchers Bottle Share!

Exchange Date: Sunday June 26th, 2022 @ 3:30 PM (Don't be late!)Exchange Location: To Be Announced, but in TorontoParticipation Fee: FREE

Some feedback coming out of the member survey this yea...

This content is only available for GTA Brews Members. Please visit our membership page to join today! If you are already a member, don't forget to Log In!

April Meeting: Lager Brewing and Tasting with Sonnen Hill!

Date: Monday April 11th, 2022
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM ET

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month we are exceptionally excited to have Calum and Lauren join us from Sonnen Hill Brewery talk to us about lagers! Their presentation will focus on brewing lagers and will include a guided tasting of four of their beers, so make sure you check out some ways (see here) you can get their beers before April 11th!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading April Meeting: Lager Brewing and Tasting with Sonnen Hill!

Pre-Meeting Post – Sonnen Hill Group Order!

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see details related to the Sonnen Hill Group Order!. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This may be a wee bit early to be talking about a meeting that’s about 2 weeks away BUT there’s good reason for it! Our guests for our April meeting will be Calum and Lauren from Sonnen Hill Brewing and the focus will be on lagers!

Part of that meeting will include a guided tasting of four of Sonnen Hill’s lagers (Low & Slow, Vienna, Munich and Gold). If you plan on attending the Club Meeting on Monday April 11 @ 7:30pm – and you’d like to participate in that guided tasting you can do one of the following:

  1. Place an order for these four beers direct from the brewery; OR
  2. Locate these beers yourself via one of the retailers (e.g. Toronto Brewing; Bottega Volo) that carry Sonnen Hill’s beers; OR
  3. Participate in our club’s group buy in order to save on shipping. If interested in participating in the group order, please email your exact order to meetings@gtabrews.ca. All orders must be submitted by April 4, 2022.
    • Payments will be settled after the order is placed w/ Sonnen Hill
    • East End pickup location (exact location TBD).
    • At this time, we do not have a West End pickup location – if you are interested in serving as a West End pickup location, please email meetings@gtabrews.ca

If you have any questions regarding the guided tasting, please email meetings@gtabrews.ca.

Continue reading Pre-Meeting Post – Sonnen Hill Group Order!

March Meeting: Beer / Food Pairings with Lauren Richard!

Date: Monday March 14th, 2022
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM ET

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

As we March towards spring this month (you see what I did there?) we are excited to have GTA Brews Member Lauren Richard (pronounced akin to “Rocket Richard”) with us to impart her knowledge on something our club has never looked at before – Beer / Food Pairings!!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading March Meeting: Beer / Food Pairings with Lauren Richard!

February Meeting: The (REAL) Garage Brewery with Stephen Rodermond

Date: Tuesday February 15th, 2022
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM ET

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

It’s February and this month we are happy to have GTA Brews Member Stephen Rodermond to give us a presentation on opening up a brewery (yes… a legal brewery) in his garage!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading February Meeting: The (REAL) Garage Brewery with Stephen Rodermond

January Meeting: The Shape of Water Chemistry with Eric Cousineau!

Date: Monday January 10th, 2022
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM ET

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

HOPPY NEW YEAR! This month we are happy to have GTA Brews Member (and former club President) Eric Cousineau back to give us a presentation this month on water chemistry!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading January Meeting: The Shape of Water Chemistry with Eric Cousineau!

December Meeting: Holiday Gathering

Monday December 13th at 7:00 PM
People’s Pint Brewing Company
90 Cawthra Ave, Unit #101, Toronto, Ontario, M6N 3C2  MAP

This month come hang out, swap homebrews, and mingle!

This December we are being hosted by People’s Pint Brewing Company. Thanks for hosting us! We request that everyone spend some money to support our wonderful host. They have plenty of beer-to-go in their bottle shop!

What’s Different From The Last Time We Met?

As we are still within a global Pandemic, and we want to ensure safety for our members and for People’s Pint staff, please note the following:

  • Capacity Limits: a maximum of 40 fully (aka double) vaccinated members will be allowed to attend.  “Purchase” your free ticket at the end of this post to reserve your spot!
  • Vaccine Passports: Please ensure you have downloaded your Ontario Vaccine Certificate (QR Code) from the Ontario Government’s website as you’ll be required to present it in order to attend.
  • Physical Distancing: While only fully vaccinated members will be in attendance, please remember to treat others with respect and, if someone’s uncomfortable, provide them the appropriate personal space.

Continue reading December Meeting: Holiday Gathering

November Meeting: Those Czech (and now Italian) Pilsners with Annie Johnson!

Date: Monday November 8th, 2021
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM ET

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month we are exhilarated to have Annie Johnson, an American Homebrewers Association Brewer Of The Year award winner, give us a presentation this month on everything pertaining to Czech (and now Italian) pilsners!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading November Meeting: Those Czech (and now Italian) Pilsners with Annie Johnson!

Club Barrel Fill #5

Time to announce the sign up for our fifth club barrel fill for this new bourbon barrel! The barrel will stay in its current home at Peoples Pint Brewing Co.

We will be filling the new bourbon barrel with a Russian Imperial Stout. Want in on this fun members-only project? Log in, then click the link below and apply for the barrel. We will randomly pick applicants to participate in the barrel fill.

This content is only available for GTA Brews Members. Please visit our membership page to join today!

If you are already a member, don't forget to Log In!

2021 GTA Brews Advent Calendar

Exchange Date: Sat. November 27th, 2021 @ 11:00 AM (Don't be late!)Exchange Location(s): Common Good Beer Company (475 Ellesmere Rd, Scarborough, ON M1R 4E5)Participation Fee: $10

The Annual G...

This content is only available for GTA Brews Members. Please visit our membership page to join today! If you are already a member, don't forget to Log In!

October Meeting: Yeast Q&A with Dr. Richard Preiss of Escarpment Labs!

Date: Monday October 18th, 2021
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month we are over-the-moon to have Dr. Richard Preiss, co-founder of Escarpment Labs, give us a presentation this month and take a Q&A on all things yeast related!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading October Meeting: Yeast Q&A with Dr. Richard Preiss of Escarpment Labs!

September Meeting: Making Hoppy Beers with Scott Janish!

Date: Monday September 13th, 2021
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month we are honoured and excited to have author and brewer Scott Janish give us a presentation this month! He’ll be talking to us about making hoppy beers!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading September Meeting: Making Hoppy Beers with Scott Janish!

August Meeting: Pastry Stouts with Bebo & Chris from Third Moon Brewing!

Date: Monday August 9th, 2021
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month we are thrilled to have Bebo and Chris from Third Moon Brewing! They’ll be talking to us about a topic we have not yet had tabled at our meetings; Pastry Stouts!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading August Meeting: Pastry Stouts with Bebo & Chris from Third Moon Brewing!

July Meeting: Sour and Funky Beers with Michael Tonsmeire

Date: Monday July 12th, 2021
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month we are SO excited to have author, brewer and the authority on sour / funky beers, Mr. Michael Tonsmeire as our guest presenter!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading July Meeting: Sour and Funky Beers with Michael Tonsmeire

Announcing Summer Showdown 2021 – Homebrew Competition

Click Here to go to the main competition page and register!

Our popular seasonal homebrew competition is back for 2021, in virtually judged format! As usual, we will be accepting all styles of beer, mead, and cider. Since this is our small competition, entry will be restricted to GTA Brews members only.

This seasonal competition is designed to be a “low stakes” introduction to BJCP competitions for club members to enter their beers for feedback and fun. The focus is on providing excellent feedback, so we keep the entry cap and fee low. Our hope is that lots of first-time entrants will find themselves on the winners list and be motivated to continue entering competitions. This competition will be judged by BJCP Judges according to the 2015 BJCP Guidelines.

If this if your first competition, please read our BJCP Competition Guide for tips on entering. If you aren’t sure which category to enter your beer, bring it to a club meeting, or email: comp@gtabrews.ca

Continue reading Announcing Summer Showdown 2021 – Homebrew Competition

June Meeting: Yeast Best Practices, Propagation and More with Nina Houts from Imperial Yeast!

Date: Monday June 14th, 2021
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month we have Nina Houts from Imperial Yeast to talk to us about yeast propagation, yeast handling best practices, a virtual tour and more!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading June Meeting: Yeast Best Practices, Propagation and More with Nina Houts from Imperial Yeast!

Canadian Homebrew Day 2021

Yet again our annual Canadian Homebrew Day (CHD) tradition of running Learn2Brew has been cancelled due to COVID-19. But CHD is about much more than just running L2B, and COVID-19 sure won’t stop us! CHD is an opportunity to take a moment out of what has been a hectic 12+ months for all of us an enjoy our hobby and craft. Similar to last year, we’ve organized a virtual brewing session on Zoom:

Join On Zoom (link)
Password: gtabrews
Date: Saturday June 5th, 2021
Time: 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM

If you’re free, get a brew going and join us on Zoom to talk all things brewing and some regular old banter. If you’re looking for something to brew, there are a few official Canadian Homebrew Day recipes from our friends at the Canadian Homebrewers Association:

David Chang-Sang, Eric Cousineau, and Colin Green will be hosting the virtual brew session:

  • David will be brewing the Tropical Stout
  • Eric will be brewing the Kolsch
  • Colin will be brewing a Triple IPA and partigyle’d Session IPA

If you are indeed brewing that day, please take some pictures and share it with our community and beyond by tagging GTA Brews and #CanadianHomebrewDay in your posts!

May Meeting: The Granite Brewery’s Use Of Ringwood Yeast

Date: Monday May 10th, 2021
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month we have not one but two presenters! Both Mary Beth Keefe and Tim Burnett from The Granite Brewery & Tied House will join us to talk a bit about open fermentation using Ringwood yeast culture! Join us to hear Mary Beth and Tim discuss a bit about The Granite’s history and why their open fermentation method is quite unique!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading May Meeting: The Granite Brewery’s Use Of Ringwood Yeast

February Meeting: All About Mead with Matt King

Date: Monday February 8th, 2021
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month we have our own GTA Brews member Matt King joining us, to talk about mead! Join us to hear Matt talk about the different types of mead, what the process looks like, how the fermentation differs from beer, some of his recipes, and more!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading February Meeting: All About Mead with Matt King

January Meeting: Recreating Historical Beers with Jordan St John

Date: Monday January 11th, 2021
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month we have renowned beer author and Certified Cicerone/BJCP Jordan St. John joining us, to talk about collaborating with local breweries to re-create historical beer styles! Jordan wears many hats in the Toronto beer scene and we are thrilled to have him join us.

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading January Meeting: Recreating Historical Beers with Jordan St John

November Meeting: Brewing Water with John Palmer

Date: Monday November 9th, 2020
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month, we have famous homebrew author John Palmer sharing his knowledge about Brewing Water, followed by a Q&A session! This time last year John joined us as a special guest at Brew Slam, and we are very excited to have him back.

For this meeting we will open up attendance to both members and non-members. Members will have first rights to join using the link above between 7:30 – 8:00 PM. At 8:00 PM we will share the public link on our social media to welcome in non-members (up to 100 people total).

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading November Meeting: Brewing Water with John Palmer

October Meeting: Hard Seltzer with Marcelo Paniza

Date: Monday October 19th, 2020
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month, we have our very own Marcelo Paniza sharing his knowledge with a presentation on making Hard Seltzer! This alcoholic beverage is seeing a surge of popularity right now, and homebrewers can make their very own using equipment you already have! Marcelo will show you how, and why, to homebrew them while sharing his best tips.

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading October Meeting: Hard Seltzer with Marcelo Paniza

2020 GTA Brews Advent Calendar

Exchange Date: Sat. November 28th, 2020Exchange Location(s): James' House (Riverdale)Participation Fee: $10

The Annual GTA Brews Advent Calendar is back for the 7th year in a row! On Saturday ...

This content is only available for GTA Brews Members. Please visit our membership page to join today! If you are already a member, don't forget to Log In!

September Meeting: Raw Ale with Luke Van Oort

Date: Monday September 14th, 2020
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month, we have our very own Luke Van Oort sharing his knowledge with a presentation on Raw Ale! This is a technique inspired by historical brewing processes that has the potential to shave hours off your brewday by skipping the boil!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading September Meeting: Raw Ale with Luke Van Oort

August Meeting: Pressure Fermenting with David Chang-Sang

Date: Tuesday August 18th, 2020
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

Please note the one off deviation in date this month.

This month, we have our very own David Chang-Sang sharing his knowledge with a presentation on Pressure Fermenting. If you’ve been looking for an easier way to brew tasty lager-ish beers, this is the presentation for you!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading August Meeting: Pressure Fermenting with David Chang-Sang

July Meeting: Simple Homebrewing with Denny & Drew

Date: Monday July 13th, 2020
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

This month, we have two very special guests joining us all the way from California and Oregon! We’re very excited to have our favourite podcast hosts and authors, Denny Conn and Drew Beechum!

As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.

Continue reading July Meeting: Simple Homebrewing with Denny & Drew

Canadian Homebrew Day 2020: Virtual Group Brew

Due to COVID-19, our annual Canadian Homebrew Day tradition of running Learn2Brew has been cancelled. We still wanted to celebrate Canadian Homebrew Day, so we’re excited to announce we’ve organized a virtual group brew session on Zoom!

Join On Zoom (link)
Password: GTA_Brews
Date: Sunday June 7th, 2020
Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Note: This will take the place of our June club meeting

Hosts: David Chang-Sang and Eric Cousineau will be hosting the virtual brew session

  • David will be brewing a Munich Dunkel
  • Eric will be catching up on bottling some mead and kegging some beers

We were pleased to see lots of interest when we shared the plan on our Facebook Discussion Group a few days ago. We’re expecting at least 5 others to join the virtual brew session while brewing, so this will be a sort of virtual Learn2Brew!

May Meeting: Baking Bread in Quarantine

Monday May 11th at 7:30 PM
ZOOM Meeting (Online) – Link Below

Building on the success of our first online meeting in April, we are back in May to conduct the monthly meeting over Zoom.

We are still new to hosting virtual homebrew club meetings, so please have patience with any technical issues that arise. As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise.

Continue reading May Meeting: Baking Bread in Quarantine

April Meeting: Cory Day Spills His Secrets

Monday April 20th at 7:30 PM
ZOOM Meeting (Online)

Due to the COVID-19 virus, we will be conducting this month’s meeting virtually over Zoom. We are thankful that we are still able to provide a strong educational component in the form of this month’s presentation.

This is our first time hosting a virtual homebrew club meeting, so please have patience with any technical issues that arise. As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise.

Continue reading April Meeting: Cory Day Spills His Secrets

March Meeting: IPAs. All of them.

Monday February 10th at 7:00 PM
Muddy York Brewing Co.
22 Cranfield Road, Toronto, Ontario, M4B 3H1  MAP

This month we have four exciting meeting elements!

    • Homebrew Bottle Swap
    • Structured Tasting *New Format*
    • Style of the Month: IPA
      • Presented by: Emily Storey
    • IPA Recipe Formulation with Mike Vandervoort

      • Come with questions!

We are going back to our gracious host, Muddy York Brewing Co! We request that everyone spend some money to support our wonderful host. Don’t forget to buy some bottles from their shop!

Continue reading March Meeting: IPAs. All of them.

February Meeting: Brewing by the Numbers

Monday February 10th at 7:00 PM
Northern Maverick Brewing Co.
115 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON, M5V 2P9  MAP

This month we have two exciting meeting elements!

    • Presentation: Brewing by the Numbers by Emily Storey
      • Analyzing the statistics of Brew Slam Homebrew Competition. Ever wonder which categories you are most likely to medal in? Find out Monday!
    • Structured Tasting & Mingle!

This February we are going back to our gracious host, Northern Maverick Brewing Co.. Thanks for hosting us! We request that everyone spend some money to support our wonderful host. Their food is fantastic (try the Jamaican patties), and they have plenty of beer-to-go in their bottle shop!

Continue reading February Meeting: Brewing by the Numbers

January Meeting: Brewing Water Chemistry

Monday January 13th at 7:00 PM
Muddy York Brewing Co.
22 Cranfield Road, Toronto, Ontario, M4B 3H1  MAP

This month we have five exciting meeting elements!

  • Presentation: Brewing Water Chemistry by Eric Cousineau
  • Special Guest: Q&A with Lizanne Pharand (P.Eng.) from Toronto Water
  • Style of the Month: Bock
    • Presented by: Emily Storey
  • Homebrew Bottle Swap
  • Structured Tasting *New Format*

We are going back to our gracious host, Muddy York Brewing Co! We request that everyone spend some money to support our wonderful host. Don’t forget to buy some bottles from their shop!

Continue reading January Meeting: Brewing Water Chemistry

December Meeting: Holiday Gathering

Monday December 9th at 7:00 PM
People’s Pint Brewing Company
90 Cawthra Ave, Unit #101, Toronto, Ontario, M6N 3C2  MAP

This month come hang out, swap homebrews, and mingle!

This December we are being hosted by People’s Pint Brewing Company. Thanks for hosting us! We request that everyone spend some money to support our wonderful host. They have plenty of beer-to-go in their bottle shop!

Continue reading December Meeting: Holiday Gathering